Anne R. Allen's Blog: 12 Do's and Dont's for Introducing your Protagonist

Great advice from Anne R. Allen! Had to post it here for quick reference!
-Brandy

One note of caution: these are rules for the final draft. When you’re first diving into a novel, you’re not introducing your characters to a reader; you’re introducing them to yourself. All kinds of information about your MC will come up, like she eats cold pizza for breakfast, grew up next to an adult book store, and feels a deep hatred for Smurfs. This stuff will spill out in your first chapters. Let it. That’s the fun part. But be aware you’ll want to cut most of the information or move it to another part of the book when you edit.

Agents, Aspiring Authors & Eloisa James

Note: I wrote this in 2005 when I worked as an advice columnist for the Asbury Park Press. I updated some of the writing resources though - I couldn't help it!  


Q: I recently finished writing a fiction novel and was wondering how to go about getting it published.

Sue, 30, West Long Branch

A: I was very excited to receive this question because it gave me the perfect opportunity to interview New York Times best-selling author, Eloisa James. Her first book was picked up by Harper Collins - something that was accomplished with the help of an agent. How? The agent submitted James' book to a few publishers, a bidding war ensued, and voila! Eloisa James was in print.
(Sigh). Sounds like a fairy tale, right?